The Moon Red Handed
by starsweepforme
Summary: Faraday is an american transfer during the marauders' 5th year. This is more a story of her friendship with the four boys and how it strengthens and evolves over the school year. Or in some cases, her feelings for one well known Sirius Black. SBOC...Sorta
1. Sweet Emotion

OOOkay. So I completely started re-writing this. When I think about it, the format for the story is so different from this one. I guess I have to thank OOTP for that. Haha. But yeah most of the writing in this has been done during school. Math models 3rd period to be exact. So if the story seems kinda weak, bear with me, it'll get better once this thing starts rolling. I'm also thinking I may need a beta reader, so if anyone is interested….;) well let me know R&R

Disclaimer: yeah right like I could ever own the rights to Harry Potter. I'm not as cool as J.K. Rowling. Also, some of the names I use in this belong to Sara Douglass.

James Potter stood with his parents on the platform of the Hogwarts express. His mother, Rebecca, was fussing over him in her usual manner. She hopelessly tried to smooth out his unruly black hair.

"Mum… I think we're getting a little old for this."

She rolled her eyes and stepped away from him.

"Thank you."

His father Allen cleared his throat and handed James a parcel. He took the package from his dad's hand and opened it. It was a book, _The Evolution of Quidditch. _

"It's for the ride." Allen said. "And maybe you can use it for this year's games."

James grinned and hugged his parents.

"Oi! Potter!"

James looked to him mum and dad.

"That'll be Sirius. I'm off, I'll write some time next week."

He hugged his parents once more and waved as he caught up with his friends.

"There you are, it took ya long enough." Sirius said.

"Hey, it's not my fault my parents actually _want_ to see me off" James joked.

"Ah shut it. It's not like I _want_ them to see me off."

"Touché" said James.

They boarded the train and headed to a compartment in the back.

"Where's Remus?"

"Prefect business." Sirius rolled his eyes.

Faraday Hunter stood with her mom on the platform. Her mom smiled proudly and smoothed her long straight black hair.

"Mom… c'mon." Faraday said with a jokingly annoyed tone.

"Alright! Alright! Here's your bag. Oh! And don't forget your magazine." She hugged her mom.

"Write me as SOON as you can!"

"Will do." Faraday saluted her mom and boarded the train. She stood in the walkway with a lost look on her face. She frowned and nervously bit her lip. Figuring the back would be empty she went to the back of the train. To her dismay there were more students than she expected and all of the compartments were full. Full of people she knew nothing about. A knot obnoxiously twisted in her stomach. She stood still and took in deep, not so steady breaths. With a violent jolt the train took off and she gave a cry of surprise as she fell backwards and landed square on her butt. A chuckle sounded from in front of her. She frowned and shook her hair out of her face. A tall thin boy with sandy blonde hair and golden eyes stood in front of her, an amused smile plastered on his face. He leaned forward and lent her his hand. Reluctantly she accepted his help.

"Are you alright?"

Faraday straightened herself out and nodded an embarrassed yes.

"You look kinda lost, and kinda tall for a first year."

"Oh umm well…that would be because I've just transferred to Hogwarts from Minstrelsea. The American school, and I don't know anyone else. Hence the confused and embarrassed look on my face." She pointed at her disheveled self with a lopsided grin.

"Well you're welcome to sit with my friends and me."

"Uhh are you sure that's a good idea? I mean I don't want to intrude. I'm sure there's an empty compartment around here somewhere," She said looking around.

"Trust me, there's not. And you'll have fun I promise."

She continued to stare at him with an apprehensive look until he took her arm by the elbow and drug her to the compartment a few doors down. Remus threw the door open and his three friends looked up from a game of exploding snap.

"Hey! 'Bout time you decided to show up." A boy with semi-long black hair and gray eyes said.

Remus smiled and pulled Faraday in with him. The three guys looked a little confused and another boy with black hair looked to Remus for and explanation.

"Hey guys, this is...Um... what's your name?"

"Oh! … Hah." She laughed nervously, "I'm Faraday Hunter."

"'Lo Faraday, I'm Peter."

She smiled and waved.

"James Potter," he said with a glance her way before he returned his attention to the game at hand.

The boy with the semi-long black hair grinned "Black, Sirius Black."

Faraday smirked. For some reason all she could think about was the James Bond film she'd seen over the summer.

"Well if that's all for introductions why don't we have a seat?" Remus suggested.

"Actually you never told me _your_ name." Faraday said.

"Oh sorry about that. I'm Remus."

"It's nice to meet you all. I'll just stay out of your hair."

She sat down beside Peter across from James and stared out the window watching the scenery pass for a while before she reached into her messenger bag and pulled out the latest issue of _Quidditch Animated_, and started to read an article about the American All star team. After a few moments she felt weird and glanced up to see four boys staring at her. Faraday shrunk under their stares when she noticed how weird she must have seemed to them. She was tall and lanky. He hair was straight, black and went to her elbows. Her skin was pale and her eyes a shocking pale green color. But that wasn't what made her seem particularly odd. Her wardrobe. She was wearing a pair of faded blue jeans and a lime green knitted halter-top and a brown suede jacket with fringe on the sleeves. She wouldn't have seemed so out of place if they hadn't all been wearing the same outfit, uniforms.

"Do you need to change?" Remus asked.

"Oh, um, no. When we get to the school they are gonna sort me before the first years so I can just go ahead and sit with my house while the first years are getting sorted."

"Oh alright then."

Their gazes averted, well all but one.

"What's that you're reading?" James asked her.

"What this?" She tilted the cover up to show him.

On the cover a game of Quidditch was raging on and in flashy letters it said "Full coverage of this season's world cup!"

"It's just the September issue of Quidditch Animated. Have you gotten to read it yet?" she asked.

"How have I never heard of this magazine?"

"WHAT? You've never heard of it?"

"NO!"

"But this is the best Quidditch magazine out there!"

"Can I see it?" James asked eagerly.

"Yeah sure."

"Hey Pete, trade spots with me!"

They swapped spots so that Faraday and James could look at the magazine. They sat completely in a world of their own talking eagerly about all things Quidditch for a good solid hour.

"James…mate…you're practically drooling all over yourself." Sirius smirked.

James' eyes didn't even leave the magazine. He may as well have not even heard Sirius. Quidditch Animated had his complete and undivided attention. When he and Faraday finally got through the magazine they were talking avidly about the cup two years earlier when the Ballycastle Bats played the Falmouth Falcons. James got out the book his father had given him just before he boarded the train only to further their conversation. They continued talking about Quidditch until the old witch came by with the trolley. Faraday got a few cauldron cakes whereas the boys got various kinds of candy, unsurprising. From that point on the ride passed with surprising speed. A game of exploding snap went on between Remus and Sirius, James re-read Quidditch Animated cover to cover again and it didn't take Faraday long to realize that she was in fact having a lot of fun. Remus had kept his promise.

At some point in the ride, rain started to smack against the window, not harshly, but heavy just the same. Rain for some reason or another always made Faraday tired so it was no surprise to her that while she'd resumed her pastime of staring out the window she started to grow horribly drowsy until she inevitably fell asleep. Her nap didn't last too long however. She was rudely awoken by stifled giggles and an obnoxious snort that she later found it'd come from peter. But the muffled laughter was not the only thing that woke her but more of the first and most obvious. Strings of liquorish were stuck up her nose; random hard candies were stuck to her face, like lifesavers. And apparently a piece of chocolate had been dropped down the front of her halter and was melting with ease. Color rushed to her face, only adding to the volume of the four boys' laughter. It had always been hard to embarrass her and she didn't want to start now especially in front of new people. So with good humor she took the liquorish strands out of her nose and made to tongue the ends of them, immediately drawing more laughs from the boys along with an "Eww" and a "NO!" to which she began to laugh as well. These guys, they weren't too bad. The train began to slow down ever so slightly. It curved around a hillside, offering Faraday her first look at her new school. Her breath caught in her throat. This was a school? It had parapets surrounded by spires and towers a forest just beyond the school grounds and a massive crystal lake with, at the moment, moonlight bouncing off of the surface. And she was going to school here. This would be her home away from home. It would not be hard to learn to live with.

The train pulled into the station and students proceeded to step out into the open fresh air. Faraday stood and grabbed her messenger bag and looked at the boys who were nice enough to put up with her.

"Well boys, it's been fun. I guess I'll be seeing you when I see you." She smiled brightly and waved to them, then headed down the hallway and out to go find her escort that would take her to get sorted.


	2. Breathe

Disclaimer: yeah right like I could ever own the rights to Harry Potter. I'm not as cool as J.K. Rowling. Also, some of the names I use in this belong to Sara Douglass.

This chapter and several following it will likely mention many 70's music icons. Unfortunately, I don't own them either.

The ground outside was soft and gave way under Faraday's feet easily, no thanks to the rain. Students had gathered together in their respective groups and clambered into carriages that were pulled by…something? At the beginning of a pebble walkway an older woman stood with a stern but not unpleasant look on her face. Without hesitation Faraday smiled at her in greeting and the woman sort of smiled back.

"Welcome Miss Hunter. I am Professor McGonagall Deputy Headmistress and I will be assisting you in your sorting tonight. So if you will just follow me up to the school. With that the professor turned on her heels and began to traverse up the walkway to the entrance hall of the school. All apprehension Faraday had suffered in the last two weeks of summer, especially the last day while on the train, vanished. She was now so excited to be at this school and in Europe away from all things familiar. The only thing now that would be familiar to her would be the magic and of course Quidditch. That reminded her of the boy James she'd been talking to about Quidditch with. He'd said he was the captain of his house team and seeker. 'He must be pretty good,' she'd thought when he'd told her that. He'd been a really nice guy, they all had. So it was no surprise, to her at least, that she found herself hoping that she'd be in their house. With any luck she would be sorted into their house and could then try out for a chaser position on their house team. The walk up to the castle had finally come to an end as she was stepping up the ancient stone steps. It was huge. She'd heard stories before, of course. But she had never in her wildest dreams imagined it would look like this.

"This way," Professor McGonagall instructed.

The moment she stepped into the school her sense of smell was attacked with the scent of pumpkin spice and sweet sugary cookies. She smiled, really for no reason at all other than for some reason she just couldn't help herself. Like in the way one laughs out loud to themselves when they think of something humorous and they are the only person that knows why and what they are laughing at.

She stepped into what she could only assume was an office. Portraits hung all over the walls and close to a desk a phoenix was sat on a golden perch. It blinked at her with its fathomless beady black eyes. The professor walked back over to her with a stool, to which she instructed Faraday to sit. McGonagall then placed a ratty old hat on her head and faraday couldn't help but frown in confusion. Before she had the chance to ask what the hat was for a voice sounded from nowhere. It was a raspy voice, ratty almost, like the hat. It spoke of her family or rather, her blood. She was a pureblood, but not from any particularly renowned family. Not many American families were considered renowned, because in America, blood never really meant much to anyone. The hat told her she had a strong sense of moral and justice, and she tends to speak her mind regardless of the outcome, which can lead to hurt feelings. Nonetheless, she's social, outgoing, and charming. There was only one house for her and that was "Gryffindor!"

McGonagall smiled and removed the hat from Faraday's head. "Since you have been sorted into Gryffindor I will be your head of house. In instances of severe trouble you will answer to me. Though I must say I hope that never happens. You may change into your robes and then come down to the great hall and seat yourself with your housemates." With that the professor left the office and sitting on the desk was a Gryffindor uniform. They hadn't been there before so she could only assume that house elves had put them there. She made sure the door was closed and then changed into the robes. These were almost the same as the uniforms the boys had been wearing, with the exception that they wore pants. It had to be said that she was never too fond of skirts, but what other choice did she have? The opaque black stockings made her long skinny legs look somehow longer and skinnier. But the uniform was comfortable enough and she wasn't about to start complaining. Faraday grabbed the long black and maroon robe from the desk and headed out the door and down the narrow spiral staircase to the main floor. The guardian of the office jumped back into its spot once she got out of the stairwell.

The closer she got to the great hall the better she could smell the strong aroma of food. Her stomach flopped pathetically in a way that made her think that inside her it must look like a shriveled piece of fruit. Students were just flocking into the great hall and from the corner of her eye she spotted Remus. With a wide grin on her face she made her way over to him.

"Long time no see," She couldn't fight the grin no matter how hard she tried.

He turned to face her and immediately smiled back. "You made Gryffindor! Congratulations!"

"Its nice to know I wont have to completely re-acquaint myself with people. I can just tag along with you all year."

Something akin to worry flashed through his eyes at her statement but it passed before she could register if she'd said something wrong. Remus led her to their table and she sat next to him and across from Sirius and James.

"Hey! You made Gryffindor! That's awesome." James said, noticing the unfamiliar yet familiar face that sat across from him.

"Yep, lucky for you we'll be playing together instead of against each other. I'd hate to wipe the pitch with you, being new and all. It could stain your reputation for good. And then I'd just feel guilty." She said all of this with that same stupid grin.

"Oh so you think you're good then?" Sirius asked with an eyebrow raised.

"I don't really like to brag but…I wouldn't be surprised if I went pro some day."

The boys laughed but it was really in a rude way.

"Sorry but what did you say your name was?" James asked her.

"Faraday Hunter. You can just call me Fay though. It's what I'm used to."

"Hmm…FayFay… I think we'll keep her." Sirius announced to the marauders.

She laughed slightly with her pumpkin juice in her mouth. James and Remus laughed goodheartedly and Peter grinned oafishly with a mouth full of mashed potatoes.

Just down the table the 5th year girls looked on with remorse. A brown haired girl spoke up softly so as to not be overheard.

"Poor girl 'as got no idea whit she's goatten 'erself intea." Her accent was thickly Scottish and laced with slight sarcasm.

"Yes well I'm sure she'll find out soon enough. They'll no doubt perform some sort of immature "initiation" into their stupid gang." A bright eyed red head said, looking down the table and glaring at James.

"Best of luck to her."

The feast ended well into the evening but students were free to retire to their common rooms when they felt they could not be around food any longer. After Sirius had had his share of dessert the five of them headed up to the Gryffindor common room where the boys would begin to give Fay a sort of crash course on what REALLY goes down at Hogwarts.

Writers Comments:

Wow…I sure am glad it didn't take me forever to get this chapter out…. SIKE! I'm really sorry about that. I've just been sorta unmotivated lately AND I've been working like crazy no thanks to the holidays. BUT I really will try to be more frequent with this. Any words of encouragement and possible ideas are greatly welcome so feel free to share but don't be offended or hurt if I choose to disregard one of your suggestions. And it should also be known that I'm TERRIBLE with criticism even if it is constructive. I don't yell or anything. I just simply won't listen to it and I'll be all nice and disgruntled for a bit haha. Oh yeah, sorry this one wasn't as long as the last. But that one was really more long simply for introductory purposes.

Anyhow….Peace, Love, and Unity.


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